


Sportsball | Various Haikyuu x Reader

by trxshbxgs



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Photography, Romance, Slow Burn, Volleyball, also has a last name, coach manabu is an actual dad, im a sucker for these boys, reader has a twin who plays volleyball, reader is a female, reader is a photographer, reader is short, she has daddy issues, shes the nekoma manager, x Reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2019-08-03 21:03:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16333436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trxshbxgs/pseuds/trxshbxgs
Summary: You were never one for playing sports. The idea of fast balls coming towards your face or running to the point of exhaustion sounds like punishment that you'd rather not endure. Photography was more your speed, and the camera wasn't flung at you and aiming to kill.





	1. Prologue| The Girl with the Camera

You were never one for playing sports. The idea of fast balls coming towards your face or running to the point of exhaustion sounds like punishment that you'd rather not endure. Being outside in the blistering heat or the freezing cold just to practice the ability to hit a ball with a bat or run for twenty minutes straight sounded stupid, and you most definitely could find better things to do than that. 

Don't get yourself wrong, you were fully capable of playing, you just didn't want to. Getting sweaty and then having to stay in your sweaty clothes for a duration of time with no possibility of getting out of said clothes? No, that's not happening.

You played volleyball in middle school for a bit, but you weren't really into it.

Your disdain for sports was secluded to yourself; your family was obsessed with sports. Your older sister was a varsity cheerleader, older brother played basketball and had gotten a full ride scholarship for it, and your twin brother breathed and lived volleyball.

You? You took photos.

Photography was your sport. The camera was the ball, the world your stadium. Where ever you were, a camera strap was always flung around your neck, your camera dangling like a pendulum. You were responsible for the family Christmas photo, the vacation photos-- Hell, you even took your sister's wedding photos! Free of charge, of course, family was family.

Itsuki, your twin, sat beside you on the couch, texting on his phone furiously while you browsed the internet for cat videos. The house was empty on accord of your Mom in the garden and your Dad at his home in Tokyo.

A poke on the side of your face brought you looking at Itsuki, who had his eyebrow furrowed. 

"What's up, buttercup?" you asked, shutting your computer to give your twin your full attention.

"What if they don't let me in the club!" he blurted. 

The brown haired boy was melodramatic at his core. While you were more of a sardonic, laid back person, he was high strung and a nutcase. He was your brother, though, so it excuses his dramatics.

"Now what would give you that idea?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.

He huffed sadly and whined, "I don't know, Y/n, but what if!"

You raised your arms and stretched, yawning loudly before flopping off of the couch and sauntering into the kitchen, Itsuki hot on your trail. "I'm serious! What if they decide they hate me?"

"First of all," you started, turning around to face your taller brother. "You're best friends with one of the head players there." Before the boy could continue, you placed a hand over his mouth. "Second of all, you're a great volleyball player. Like, one of the bestest to ever exist ever."

"That was grammatically incorrect."

You slapped his face lightly, "I know, but you know what? I don't care."

He grimaced and plopped himself onto the linoleum floor, spreading out as if he were making a snow angel. You followed suit, staring through the skylight that was on the ceiling and into the evening sky. If you weren't having a semi emotional talk with your favorite twin, you would have definitely went outside and snapped a few shots.

"You're going to do just fine," you said. "If anything, worry about me. There's no photography club at Nekoma, there's only a mixed media club."

Itsuki became rigid, his shoulders stiff and his skin stretched over his knuckles. "I don't understand why you're going to go live with Dad."

You frowned; this was one way to ease some of that tension that's been building up all summer. "You already know why, I don't think I need to tell you again."

The boy sat up and glared at you, his brown eyes glazed over and full of rage. "Yeah, because you're selfish! You're leaving me, and leaving Mom behind, too!" his voice wavered, his breath shaky.

You sat up as well, your eyebrows knitted together. "We were allowed to choose which parent we got to live with, Itsuki. I didn't want to leave you, or Mom, but I think I'll be better off in Tokyo. I've been emotionally drained for months, I think being with Dad will help me bounce back to who I was before the divorce."

He nodded and sniffled, wiping his eyes with his arm, his face red. "We've been together since birth, I don't think I can handle you not being here."

"I'm always going to be with you, dork. We may be far away physically, but we will always have that twin connection." You pulled him in for a hug, your arms wrapping around his broad shoulders and your chin resting on his shoulder. "From the womb to the tomb, remember?"

"From the womb to the tomb." he repeated, gripping you hard. 

You both stayed like that, your gaze resting outside of the window. Silence took over the both of you, and you stared out the bay window, taking in the purple and orange hues. Elaborate strokes of baby blue were still present, but stars were threatening to reveal themselves and start their dance. You wished you were a star in this moment-- but alas, you were only a girl with a camera.


	2. Chapter One| The Cat's Den

Nekoma High School was large. You were a short person, so most things were large to you, but this... this was large. It was a city high school, of course it was going to be big, but man... wow. You were squeezed between students who were all trying to get to their home room classes on time while you were just trying to collect yourself. 

It was beautiful though, they obviously had great funding.

You texted Itsuki, asking him how his first day is going and that you'd be visiting him every weekend if time allowed. You put your phone back in your skirt pocket, which Nekoma skirts had. When you found the hidden pockets in the skirt, you couldn't wait to put things in them.

You looked down at your paper, trying to find class one on the map the school had provided for you. The middle school you and your brother attended wasn't large by any means, so finding where things were had been a breeze. This school, however, was fucking huge. 

Distracted by your confused staring at your map, you had't noticed a tall boy walking towards you, his head buried in his phone. As if from a cheesy movie, the both of you collided; you dropped to your butt, wincing from the sting, and the boy seemingly wasn't affected. 

He quickly put his phone in his pocket and thrusted his found out. "I'm so sorry, I should have been paying more attention! Let me help you up!"

You took his hand and he hoisted you up with ease, catching you off guard. Wow, this kid was strong.

The tall boy bowed and apologized once more, you following suit. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going. I'm trying to find my classroom, so I was looking at this stupid map."

He perked up at the sign that you needed help. "What class are you looking for? I know this place like the back of my hand!"

Nekoma breeds nice people, thank God you found this guy. "Class one A, you know it?" you asked, craning your head up to look in his eyes.

He nodded, a smile forming on his face. "I do, in fact. That's my class." he stated. "Here, follow me, I'll show you exactly where it is."

You grinned. "Thank you!"

The two of you began your walk to class one A, casually talking the way there. You wanted at least one friend here, and you're not one for going out of your way to socialize, so this was the perfect scenario.

"Well, since we've already technically held hands at least once, maybe we should introduce ourselves. I'm Akabane Y/n."

He laughed and introduced himself as well. "I'm Inuoka So."

You both walked up a flight of stairs, and as you passed a window in the stairwell, all you could see were buildings. Bustling buildings, full of so much life. So different from your town in Miyagi.

Great, a conversation starter. 

"I'm not used to seeing such tall buildings all the time," you started, looking up at Inouka. "I'm from the country; the tallest building we have are apartment buildings. Those buildings aren't even as tall as this school." You sighed and said, "I'm having a culture shock."

"What made you come here, Akabane-chan? Is it because you heard of the stunningly good looking guys, like myself?" he grinned and winked playfully. 

You snorted and shook your head. "Nah, you remind me of my brother, so you're most definitely off my radar." Not wanting to get into your melodramatic life story, you clarified, "I just wanted a change of scenery."

"Does your brother go here too?" Inuoka asked as you both continued your stroll to class one A.

"No, he wanted to stay with the hicks." you deadpanned as you walked into the classroom.

The brown haired boy chuckled. "I'm gonna keep you around, Akabane-chan."

High school, you learned, was just like middle school, but with more people and students who looked like fully grown adults. The boy who sat on your right had a thick mustache and was built like a brick house. You'd be sure to stay clear of him, you'd rather not be on his shit list.

Class started like it did in middle school: stand up, introduce yourself, sit down, shut up, listen to teacher. All you could think about is why does your teacher look like she's angry all the time. She even smiled when she introduced herself, but she looked pissed off when she did it. Maybe it was her eyebrows, they were quite narrow and pointed.

You weren't a bad student by any means, you were in advanced classes and college prep classes, but you just didn't see the point. You wanted to be a photographer and travel the world. The jar under your bed labeled 'plane money' had about 'half a seat in coach to Sapporo' amount of money right now, but you would get enough money eventually.

The bell soon chimed, signaling lunch time. Turning to your left, you saw Inuoka talking to another boy with dark brown hair. You didn't want to intrude on their conversation, but Inuoka beckoned you over, so you had no choice. You meandered over, bento box in hand, and stood beside your friend. 

"Akabane-chan, say hello to Shibayama!" Inuoka pointed to the slightly shorter boy, who waved shyly.

He bowed and uttered, "It's nice to meet you, I'm Shibayama Yuki."

You bowed back. "Akabane Y/n, nice to meet you."

It seemed like both you and Shibayama were awkward people, so Inuoka broke the silence. "Akabane-chan, wanna eat lunch with us?"

You nodded. "I was going to ask that, since you're my one and only friend here. Thanks, Inuoka-san."

The three of you moved desks together and then sat down, each of you enjoying your own lunches. The two boys chattered idly while you sat and listened, tuning in and out. The moment they started talking about volleyball is when you tuned right in.

"Are you excited for our first official meeting today?" Shibayama asked Inuoka, who looked eager as ever.

"Of course I am! I've been excited since our break! You've been practicing, right?"

Shibayama nodded, "Everyday."

You butted in their conversation, asking, "What positions do you guys play?"

Inuoka's face brightened as if he had received a million yen, and Shibayama seemed to uncurl from his defensive form. "I'm a middle blocker, I make sure the ball doesn't go kabloosh on our side! Shibayama is a libero, he keeps the ball in play so we can win!"

"Akabane-san, do you play?" asked the dark haired boy.

Shrugging, you answered, "Sometimes. I played for a year in middle school then I stopped. My brother's really into it though."

"What position?" asked Inuoka, who was leaning in his seat.

God, what position did you play? That was three years ago. You weren't a blocker, or a setter. "Um, I think I was a wing spiker? I remember being the one who always hit it, so that must be the spiker."

Shibayama's mouth was agape. "Wow, impressive, Akabane-san."

You shook your head, "I wasn't that good, in all honesty. I was even shorter back then, and I wasn't great at jumping, so it hit the net a lot. Either that or someone blocked it. My heart wasn't into it, so I quit."

"Would you be interested in it again?" Inuoka asked, looking at you.

"Why?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.

He responded, "Our team needs a manager, and since you know the game, you'd be the perfect candidate, Akabane-chan!"

You exhaled loudly. "I don't know, Inuoka-san. I wanted to join the mixed media club because of photography, so would I even have time for both?"

"You could take pictures there, Akabane-san. Sports photographers are in high demand, and it pays very well." Shibayama explained, shocking you.

"Really?" you questioned.

He nodded and continued, "If you can get clear shots while people are in motion, that's talent. One of my cousins does sports photography and he makes a lot."

That's really tempting, but do you really want to be involved in volleyball again? Well, you never really got out of it, since Itsuki needed a practice partner, but still. "I'll have to think about it."

"Come today and see how you like it!" chirped Inuoka, pointing his chopsticks at you.

"Maybe." 

 Class ended fairly quickly, and when the bell rang and let students out for the day, you were stopped at your desk. "So, you comin' today?" Inuoka asked.

Fuck it, might as well. "Yeah, lead the way, oh great one." You rolled your eyes playfully.

You situated yourself in the middle of Shibayama and Inuoka as the three of you walked towards the gym. They had stopped by the boys bathroom to change into their uniform before leading you to the gym. 

"What does a manager do, exactly?" 

Shibayama answered, "Kinda like our mom, but not really." You laughed at the analogy and let him continue. "Fill up our water bottles, keep score, take notes, that kind of stuff."

"Does it involve running?" 

"Not necessarily."

"If I have to run, I'm kicking both of your asses." you stated.

The rest of the way to the gym you were silent, lost in thought. A sports photographer, huh? That doesn't sound that bad, and you could do other types of photography, too. Would that involve traveling? Would be able to go to Europe like you've always wanted? Russia seemed cool, but too cold. Italy seemed cool, too, but too hot. You would melt if you were in the Italian sun for too long. You firmly decided you wanted to first go to Germany. 

Before you could start calculating the costs of plane tickets to Germany, your group halted. Gym doors stared into your soul-- you haven't seen these doors in years outside of gym class.

"Time to strut your stuff, shorty!"


	3. Chapter Two| Bedheads and New Faces

The atmosphere around the three of you changed, in an almost tenses way. Balls were flying faster than comets, and while Inouoka and Shibayama looked ecstatic, you were scared a ball was going to nail you in the nose. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. Who cared about sports photography? You cared about coming out of this gym alive.

"Oi, who's this?" You looked up and saw... hair.

That's so much hair.

Messy, messy hair.

And you wanted to touch it.

Inuoka happily announced to mister bedhead, "Our new manager!"

Bedhead quirked an eyebrow at this statement and looked you up and down. You decided to make a power move and look him up and down as well-- you must say, he looked good. Nice.

"You know your stuff?" he asked, humor laced in his words.

You nodded and smiled. His personality was hard to gauge, so you weren't sure what you could get away with and what not. So it's best to play it safe and be generally polite and quiet.

"Okay, let me get you an application, and you can show me what you got tomorrow, yeah?" Bedhead moved to the large bleachers that were pulled out and picked up a piece of paper that had been sitting there.

Beside you, Inuoka deflated. "You can't just get in like that, huh?"

You shrugged, "I mean, I expected this, so I'm not really disappointed. We always have tomorrow."

"But--"

"Inuoka, she can wait until tomorrow. Patience is key." Bedhead smirked and tapped you on the nose, making you scrunch it up.

Rubbing your nose, you grabbed the application from Bedhead and bowed curtly before leaving the gym, but not before a volleyball slammed into the wall beside you.

"What a weirdo."

* * *

 

"Dad, I'm home!" you called as you stepped through the door, taking off your shoes and putting on your house slippers.

Dad's home was nice and cozy, but spacious and open. It was a nice mixture of urban and rural, with warm shades of brown splattered on walls and large windows cracked to let in a breeze. It was a large house too, completely different from Mom's moderately small home.

You peeped your head in the kitchen, but all you saw were Dad's work papers scattered on the ceramic topped island. Moving to the living room, you had no luck. The television was on, the plush cushions scattered on the floor, and throw blankets thrown amok. Did you all get robbed and the robber decided to watch Keeping Up the with Kardasians?

Folding the blankets, turning off the TV, and putting the pillows back on the leather sectional, you decided to check elsewhere.

Up the stairs you went. You gripped the banister and passed pictures of you and your siblings as babies that were hung up on the wall, overstepped the stair with the creek, and nearly tripped over a sock. Today just wasn't your day, was it?

Emerging victorious, you padded to your Dad's door and knocked once, twice, and a third.

"Your lovely daughter has arrived home from her first day of school!" you shouted.

Your ears caught rushed whispers and a loud thump on the floor. Then, without warning, Dad's door flung open, revealing his disheveled self with a woman beside him her blonde hair fluffed.

"Y/n, I didn't know you were coming home so early-- did you skip school?" he asked accusingly, fixing his glasses that were askew.

"It's four in the afternoon, so no, I didn't skip school." you deadpanned, leaning against the door frame. "Who's your friend? And why were you all watching Keeping up with the Kardasians? Dad, you know we watch Teen Mom in this household!"

He stammered over his words before mystery woman said confidently, "I'm his girlfriend."

Oh.

Oh my.

Wow.

Already? Mom hasn't even taken off her wedding ring.

You tried to hold your grimace and nodded. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Akabane Y/n."

"Celia Harrison, me and your father work together." She ran thin, pale fingers through corn silk tresses and adjusted her green button up blouse.

Popping off of the door frame, you moved away from the pair and eyed her up and down. She was tall, adorned in black heel, black tights, white skirt and button up. A thin frame, if she had any weight on her she'd be a pear. She was pretty, but she wasn't as beautiful as Mom.

"I assume you're not from around here?" you questioned.

Why were you trying to be friendly with her? She was just having what you can only assume was sex with your Dad, and you're here making small talk? You couldn't ignore the betrayal you felt, but why? It's not like he's cheating on your Mom; they're divorced now, they can do what they want.

She's still wearing her wedding ring.

"I'm from Connecticut, but I moved here ten years ago for a job opportunity in marketing."

She's like a smart, pretty little robot who knows all the right things to say and how to please you. Celia's perfected body language, her stance oozing confidence and power, shrinking what little confidence you had.

"Ah."

A loss for words.

"Um, well, I'm going to get into my pajamas and watch Netflix, so um, I'll leave you guys to it." You clapped your hands and shuffled to your room across the hall.

You slid against your door and frowned harshly.

It's been a couple months, has he moved on that quickly? Mom was still mourning the loss of her husband, and he was out here having flings with American women?! Well, one woman, but still!

Why are you so angry?

The divorce was mutual, it's what they both wanted.

You shook your head and sighed.

Dad needs to be happy, too.

Just give this woman a chance, Y/n.

And if she breaks your Dad's heart, or messes with your TV time.

Well, she'll have one angry Akabane to mess with.


	4. Chapter Three | Hit or Miss

_Two weeks later_

Being the manager of a volleyball team wasn't as bad as you thought, but it was time consuming. You originally had thought, with the help of Iuouka and Shibayama, that you'd have the time to take pictures of them in action-- contrary to that, you didn't have the time to even think about taking out your camera.

You forgot about joining the mixed media club, because with volleyball and your school work, it was that damn time that got you.

Being their manager was fun, though. Every member was a colorful character that you liked learning about, maybe too much so. You had picked up on their ticks and the odd things they do during warm ups, like Kuroo's cult like chant that never failed to make you groan internally from the cringe of it.

Itsuski hadn't been responding to your texts or calls; you even emailed his personal and school email, but no such luck at getting any response from him.

He was your twin, and right now you felt as if he was an estranged cousin you had recently met. There was an unspoken war between the two of you, and you were waving your white flag while he stood his ground. He was always too stubborn for his own good.

Maybe a visit to him wouldn't be too terrible?

Today was Sunday, and while your dad and Celia were giggling in the living room like love struck doves, you wandered through the neighborhood. The sun was covered by dark rain clouds that loomed over your head and followed you through the barren streets. Of course no one is outside, it's about to rain. The umbrella at your side smacked your leg with each step and your camera banged against your chest, the only thing holding it to your frame was the camera strap. Your camera bag was in your hand in case it decided to pour buckets.

It felt good to be by yourself. Ever since becoming the manager of the Wild Cats, as you called them, you've had Nekoma's team attached to your hip. They were your friends now, and it's not like you were complaining, but spending every morning, day, and evening with that group took a lot out of you. They've been keeping you from having a complete mental breakdown from stress alone.

The local park wasn't that far from your new home, that should be a good spot for a little photo shoot. Thunder rattled in the sky as you continued your journey, ignoring the windows slamming shut and people bringing in their precious flowers. Was there going to be a big storm today?

No one was at the park, as expected. The wind was picking up in small gusts of excitement, flinging your hair in whatever direction it pleased. It was perfect.

You plopped yourself onto the grass and flung your arms above your head, your legs spread as well. Turning your camera on, you snapped pictures of the dark sky. The leaves were billowing in the wind, rustling them harshly. The green leaves fluttered through the air currents as though they were dancers, twirling through a practiced routine.

Ten more pictures later, you retired your camera to the carrying case. You closed your eyes, allowing the scent of the oncoming summer enter your nose. The scent before it rains was your favorite, the earthy aroma soothing your shot nerves.

As you eased into the lush grass, a sense of pure serenity graced you. For the first time in weeks, you felt truly at peace. The only sounds you could hear was nature-- the pangs of thunder, the wing whipping tree limbs, the sound of a boy screaming.

Wait, a boy screaming wasn't nature related.

Before you could react, a ball bounced off of your stomach harshly, your body reacting by violently folding upwards. Snapping your eyes open, you glared at the tall boy rushing towards you, his tousled brown hair flopping.

He stood above you like a Goliath, looking down at you with concern. "Are you alright?" His voice was frantic, but it didn't seem as sincere as it could have been. Odd.

You nodded and responded, "I guess this must be your ball, huh?"

He laughed. "Yeah, me and a friend were practicing over by the courts and I guess I served this one too hard."

Served?

Looking down, you saw a volleyball in your lap.

"Oi, Shittykawa, where'd the ball go?"

"Hey! Don't call me that Iwa-chan! That's no way to talk in front of a lady!"

You could never escape the nets of that damn game, could you?


	5. Chapter Four| Lost Photography

"Akabane-chan, where's your camera?" Inuoka asked you, slinging an arm around your shoulder. He looked you up and down, searching for any sign of a camera strap.

You shrugged Inuoka's arm off of your shoulder and frowned. "I left it at the park, and when I went to go get it back, it was gone. Plus, it was raining like hell out there, so it's probably ruined." Even if it was in the carrying case, the amount of rain that day would have drenched it.

After your interaction with 'Shittykawa' and 'Iwa-chan', you took it upon yourself to leave before they decided to use your face as volleyball catcher. They honestly intimidated you a bit, their heights and the power in which the volleyball hit your stomach made you terrified of what was to come next. In your haste and thoughts of preserving your precious face, you left your camera behind.

You're such an idiot.

That was a ¥100,000 camera-- that was three summers worth of work at your aunt's flower shop, plus babysitting and pet walking for two years. That was the first ever large purchase you've ever made, that camera was your baby. You essentially left your baby in a hot car for five hours on a scorching day.

The brown haired boy beside you patted your head. "Wishful thinking, Akabane-chan, wishful thinking. Maybe someone picked it up and they're waiting to give it back!"

While you wished that would actually happen, nobody was actually that nice. They probably ran off with it, deleted the photo's you failed to put on a USB card, and sold it.

It seemed that Inuoka was picking up on your sullen mood, his usual bold rush to the gym was replaced with a content stroll alongside you. You hated it. You wanted Inuoka to rush you along to the gym so he could get that extra five minutes of practice, and you wanted Shibayama to be struggling to keep up with the two of you while you laughed and jeered.

Shibayama was out sick today, so the infamous trio you three had created was down a member-- which sucked, but you had no problem talking to just Inuoka, or if the tables were turned, Shibayama. It seemed being the only three first years on the volleyball team, and being in same the class had bonded you all.

The gym was as lively as ever, with the team minus Inuoka running laps. Inuoka was quick to join them, bidding you a quick, 'Talk to you soon.' Sighing, you took your notebook out of your backpack and sat beside coach Manabu.

Coach Manabu and you had a nice relationship. You felt more kinship with this twenty six year old man than you did your actual father at this point, which wasn't hard to imagine. You didn't want to say you had daddy issues because you and your old man had a good relationship, but it was more of a friendship than anything else. He let you roam the streets without asking where you're going, no curfew set, no rules to be seen.

With Mom, there was too much control-- with Dad there wasn't enough.

Coach Manabu was who you needed right now, with everything weird in your life, he had a nice balance. Even if you only saw him in the afternoons and weekends, he'd grown on you.

_The first week at Nekoma you had a hard time, even with your new friends and teammates. You were denied from the mixed media club because 'you won't have time to put your heart into your art', your Dad's new girlfriend was trying to smother you with love you didn't want from her, and Itsuki stopped responding to you._

_Somehow, getting a C on a math quiz broke you down._

_Being curled up in the boys bathroom crying wasn't where you'd picture yourself today, but even you exceed your expectations._

_Your chest hurt from your continuous dry heaves as long, drawn out sobs left your mouth. Gulping down breathes only to be exhaled seconds later wasn't helping your situation, either. Your throat felt as if you rubbed sandpaper down the lining of it and then rubbed salt in the bloody, scratched wounds._

_You couldn't think straight, all you thought was if you could quiet down your wails. You would've thought your Mom had just died, or you found out someone in your family had gotten into a car accident, but you had no excuse for your crying. Having a meltdown over some stupid quiz? Some people had an actual reason to cry._

_Trying to stand from your knelled form, you struggled. Your body wasn't your own, it trembled as shook. You sunk back down against the wall, trying your best to stop whatever you called this._

_You hadn't bothered lifting your head to see who had entered the bathroom, not caring who saw you at this point. The large form sat beside you and placed a hand on your head, smoothing your hair down._

_"Akabane, breathe."_

_Shaking your head, you tried to explain that you couldn't, but he didn't take no for an answer. He lifted your head and rubbed your eyes with a napkin before asking, "Can you count backwards from twenty with me?"_

_"Twenty, nineteen, eighteen..."_

_He waited for you to continue what he had started._

_"S-sevent-teen."_

_"Good, and then what?"_

_The two of you counted all the way to negative nine before you had calmed down enough to form sentences._

_"I'm sorry you had to see that, coach Manabu." you whispered finally, rubbing your sore eyes._

_He shook his head. "Don't apologize, Akabane, you have no reason to."_

_Coach Manabu sat with you in complete silence for ten minutes before you felt composed enough to stand._

_You moved to apologize once more before he stopped you. "If you ever need someone, I'm here. I'm your coach, you can trust me, alright?"_

"Where's the camera, Akabane?" asked Manabu, his dark eyes glancing from the boys practicing their spikes to you.

"I left it at home today," you lied. "I wanna make sure these kids are in tip top shape."

"You talk as if you're forty, Akabane." he deadpanned, making you snort.

"My cracking bones tell me I'm eighty." You ignored him insulting your hunched posture, paying attention to Kuroo, who was practicing his setting with Kenma.

* * *

 

"Wait, we have a practice match this weekend?" you blurted.

Practice was officially over, and the team was sitting down on the gym floor discussing what you seemingly forgot.

Kuroo snickered. "Your memory is as small at your are, short shit."

You huffed and crossed your arms. "Nobody here tells me anything, even though I'm the manager. You all are pieces of work, I swear."

"To Kuroo-san's defense, we did just schedule it yesterday," Kai said.

Inuoka included, "And I only told you this morning, you must've missed it."

"But who's it with?" you questioned. "I don't know any other volleyball team around here."

Yamamoto grinned. "Our old rivals, Karasuno."


	6. Chapter Five| Silent Stalking

"Mom, where's Itsuki?" you asked your mother over the phone. The hand that wasn't holding the phone was drumming its fingers rapidly against your desk.

When you had gotten home from school, you immediately called your mom in hopes you could convince Itsuki to speak to you. You needed to talk to him before the practice match, or it'd be an awkward reunion for the two of you.  _Hey bro, I know I swore off volleyball but lookie here I manage one now!_

"He's at volleyball practice, why?" she questioned.

Sighing, you replied, "Nevermind, it's not really that important. How's life out in the boonies?"  

* * *

 

"Who's the old man?" you questioned as Inuoka, Shibayama, and yourself walked into the gym Friday evening.

"Who's the-- Akabane-chan, that's coach Nekomata! He's a legend!" he sputtered.

Nodding, you looked over the older man. He watched over the other members like a mother overlooking her litter, with sharp calculating eyes and an everlasting, cocky smile. He was going to be your best friend.

"That doesn't really explain much. What's he doing here?"

"He was retired for a while, but he decided to come back and work with coach Manabu. Do you even pay attention when we have team meetings?" laughed Shibayama.

You snorted. "I've never once listened to you all drone on and on about stuff that I don't care about. Honestly, the only time I listen is when we're talking about strategy."

Inuoka clapped his hand on your shoulder and laughed. "You're a terrible manager!"

"I can't disagree with that fact, friend. You two get to steppin' on laps or coach Manabu is going to actually kill you."

The two boys jogged off to join the others in their slow paced run while you hobbled over to coach Manabu and Grandpa Nekomata. The men were in light conversation when you made your way over, Nekomata stopping mid sentence to glaze over your form.

"Ah, Akabane Y/n, I've heard from Naoi that you're our manager."

You nodded, not really knowing what else to say. How was Grandpa Nekomata going to become your best friend for life with this kind of awkwardness. 

"Since we have a practice match against Karasuno on tomorrow, you're going to need to be up to date with their players. Get on it, kit." He patted your head and shooed you away like a pesky fly who buzzed in his ear for far too long.

I mean, if you didn't want to talk to me you could have just said so. 

How the Hell were you supposed to do that? Stalk them on Instagram?

Actually...

Let's see if these guys have an official Instagram page.

* * *

  
An hour later, after careful internet stalking and fishing through several social media sites, you managed to find out at least who most of the players on the team were-- and that was it. You had no information on their positions, weaknesses, or strengths. Man, you really were a shitty manager. The only thing you were possibly positive on was the position of Itsuki, which would be a middle blocker. That tall bastard couldn't have been better for anything else.

"Ma, short shit, practice is over, get your nose out of your phone and help clean up." Kuroo leaned over your hunched form and looked down at your screen.

Batting him away, you told him, "Coach Nekomata put me on a mission that's way more important than cleaning up your sweaty balls."

The messy haired boy snorted and plopped down beside you, resting his arms on his knees. "And what's so important that you can't touch our sweaty balls, hmm?"

"Stalking." You looked up from Facebook momentarily to wink at him. "I'm looking up players from Karasuno; I'm trying to be a good manager here, Kuroo-san."

He chuckled. "Stop your creepiness for five minutes to help out, tomorrow's show time."

Kuroo lifted himself off of the gym floor and held out a hand to help you up. You gladly took his larger hand and ignored how nice it felt to hold a guy's hand. Last time I had a boyfriend was the fifth grade, and that doesn't even count because he used me for my sixty-four pack of crayons.

"Are you nervous?" you asked him as the two of you collected stray balls.

He shook his head. "Our team is good, we know what we're doing."

What's with these Nekoma boys and avoiding straight forward questions.

* * *

  
**RING RING**

**RING RING**

**RING RING**

_Oh my God I'm answering, I'm answering._

"I'm sleeping, what do you want?" you mumbled groggily, eyes still closed.

"Shibayama and I are outside your door, open up!" Inuoka announced loudly through the speaker, making you wince.

"Key's under the mat, come in my room."

Once you started slipping back into your coma-like slumber, your two best friends entered your room, making more noise than what you thought was humanly possible. You pressed a pillow into your face and groaned loudly. "You guys are like bulls in a china shop! Let me sleep!"

Inuoka plopped onto your bed, the mattress sinking beneath him. "Up an' at em' Akabane-chan! It's game day!"

"What time is it?" you slurred under your pillow.

Shibayama lifted the pillow off of your face, making you see the harsh light of your bedroom lamps. He peered down at your with excitement in his tawny brown eyes. "It's seven, and that means you gotta get up."

With hesitation, you emerged from your cocoon of wool blankets and soft sheets, mournfully glazing at it as you stretched. 

"So, do I gotta dress fancy for this or can I go in my pajamas since I'm not playing?" you asked, very comfortable in your penguin pajamas.

Inuoka replaced you in your bed, wrapping himself in your blankets while Shibayama held one of your pillows to his chest. "Hey! Out of my bed! If I can't be in there, neither can you two-- actually, stay there, I'll get ready in the bathroom."

You snagged your Nekoma track pants, the matching jacket, and a black shirt and ran to the bathroom to get dressed, brushing your teeth and hair while you were in there.

"Alright boys, let's get a move on so we can kick some Karasuno ass!"


	7. Chapter Six| Familiar Faces-- Worn out Places

I so did not miss this cow town," you muttered offhandedly.

The sun beamed harshly on your face through the bus's window as your team drove into Miyagi. Yaku sat beside you, curled into the seat, snoring like a kitten. Inuoka and Shibayama were in the seats in front of you, and across from you were Kuroo and Kenma. Your two best friends abandoned you to the deserted island that was Yaku Morisuke, which really didn't bother you as much as they thought it would.

_Believe it or not, me and Morisuke are good buddies, those two jerks can live it up from those crummy seats._

Glancing down at your phone, turning up the brightness so the sun didn't cast an awful glare, you clicked on Itsuki's contact information. He still hasn't looked at my messages? A soft pang echoed in your chest and weights dropped on your shoulders.

"You good, Akabane?" You jumped in your seat and looked at Yaku, ignoring the knot that had been gathering in your throat.

"I'm better than good, I'm great."

He nodded and closed his eyes once more, leaning on your shoulder. What an adorable nerd.

* * *

 

"Shorty, you look like your cat just died, what's with the long face?"

Looking up from your phone, you noticed that Yaku was no longer asleep on your shoulder. Replacing the ash haired boy was Kuroo, who's intense stare made you shudder.

"Pregame jitters." you lied hastily, your eyes removing themselves from the captain back to your phone.

"Who's Itsuki?"

You snapped your head towards the bed head, shoving your phone in your pocket hastily. "It's my dead cat."

"Oh, Chibi-chan, what am I going to do with you." Kuroo tutted, shaking his head while patting yours.

* * *

 

Once the bus had made its complete stop, you gathered yourself with Shibayama and Inuoka on the sidewalk of what was supposed to be your high school.

Karasuno wasn't that impressive in your humble opinion. Nekoma shadowed over Karasuno in stature and notability.

 _The Fallen Crows_ is what they're called, and you'd bet it's because of their shitty volleyball team _._

_Itsuki has made this trip into a miserable use of my weekend. He's even making my inner monologue angsty. I wish I could get rid of some of this anxiety, it's making me bitchy._

While the boys and you goofed around the sidewalk, playfully shoving each other off of the edge, Kuroo coughed, signalling that the team should gather together. Your make-believe dad coach Manobu began to speak.

"This is just a practice match, but please behave. This isn't our school, so don't make a mess of the place and don't goof off. We're representing Nekoma, not the circus." he gazed over to Inuoka and yourself, who were playing rock-paper-scissors.

Granpa cat stood by Manobu's side and simply nodded. "The battle of the garbage dump."

_Excuse me, but what? Did he just call us garbage? There must be more to that than what I know._

"Ah, it seems someone's here to guide us to the gym," Coach Nekomata exclaimed, causing you to turn your head in the direction the older man looked to.

The same eyes as yours widened and thick eyebrows rose into shaggy hair. His fists clenched against his side, visibly shaking with soft tremors.

Time stood still in this moment. All you could do was stare at the carbon copy of your face, who's expression was unreadable. He's grown in the time you haven't seen him-- at least two inches. He looked more put together, he wasn't the bumbling boy who you left behind on that rainy Sunday morning.

"Y/n? What are you doing here?"

You chuckled nervously, rubbing your hand on your arm. "Surprise?"


End file.
